Horseback Riding

To see Bryce Canyon the way early pioneers did, you need to look down from a horse or mule. Canyon Trail Rides, P.O. Box 128, Tropic, UT 84776 (tel. 435/679-8665; www.canyonrides.com), offers a close-up view of Bryce's spectacular rock formations from the relative comfort of a saddle. They have a desk inside Bryce Lodge. A 2-hour ride to the canyon floor and back costs $40 per person, and a half-day trip farther into the canyon costs $55 per person. Rides are offered April through November. Riders must be at least 7 years old for the 2-hour trip, at least 10 for the half-day ride, and weigh no more than 220 pounds.

Guided horseback rides in Red Canyon, just outside the national park, are provided by Ruby's Inn Horserides (tel. 866/782-0002 or 435/834-5341; www.horserides.net), at Ruby's Inn, at similar rates; in addition, Ruby's offers a full-day ride with lunch for $90. Ruby's will also board your horse (call for rates).